Note 175 — Chapter III

Footnote 175:

(return)

Herm. Mand. I. has merely fixed the Monotheistic confession προτον παντων πιστευσον, 'οτι εις εστιν 'ο θεος, 'ο τα παντα κτισας και καταρτισας κ.τ.λ. See Praed Petri in Clem Strom VI. 6, 48, VI. 5, 39. Aristides gives in c. 2 of his Apology the preaching of Jesus Christ but where he wishes to give a short expression of Christianity he is satisfied with saying that Christians are those who have found the one true God. See e.g. c. 15.

Christians have found the truth. They know and believe in God the creator of heaven and of earth by whom all things consist and from whom all things come who has no other god beside him and from whom they have received commandments which they have written on their hearts, commandments which they observe in faith and in expectation of the world to come. It is interesting to note how Origen Comm. in Joh. XXXII. 9 has brought the Christological Confession into approximate harmony with that of Hermas. First Mand. I. is verbally repeated and then it is said χρη δε και πιστευειν, 'οτι κυριος Ιησους Χριστος και πασε τη περι αυτου κατα την θεοτητα και την ανθροπωτετα αληθεια δει δε και εις το 'αγιον πιστευειν πνευμα, και 'οτι αυτεξουσιοι οντες κολαζομεθα μεν εφ' 'οις 'αμαρτανομεν τιμωμεθα δε εφ' 'οις ευ πραττομεν.